Question About Buying An Fjr, Cost To Fix Ticker

[lfmn16]

I'm looking at buying an FJR. It's a Gen I with very low mileage. My concern is that I don't know the person I'm buying it from (although I have NO reason to believe he is not an honest person). I checked with Yamaha and I can't buy a warrenty on it. My concern is that the mileage is so low that the valve ticking problem may not have surfaced yet. How much does it cost to have that fixed (approximately). I know it's always a crap-shoot buying a used bike, but if I can get it for a good price, I'll probably take a chance.

Thanks for your input. Any other advice on what to look for when I go to look at it would be appreciated. It will be a fly and ride, so there are limits on what I can do.

 

[ionbeam]

Expect repair cost to run in the $1.4k to $1.75k range if your dealer does 100% of the work. You can reduce that amount by stripping the bike down and putting it back together yourself. The more you do, the more you save. There is a chance that Yamaha may still pick up some or all of the cost.

If you are looking at an '03 your odds of it being a ticker is very likely <20%, much less than that if it is an '04 and very, very unlikely for an '05. The premature wear of the valve guides due to stem seals being too tight takes a long time. You can ride the motorcycle until oil comes out the exhaust and it will still run ok and be reliable.

Not knowing the model year or miles it's hard to advise much more. The true dealer check for a 'ticker' is to pull the head pipes and look for traces of engine oil. The duffers check is to put a long metal rod, long screwdriver, etc on the exhaust header right at the cylinder head, at cyl #1, then with the engine running put your ear on the improvised mechanic's stethoscope and listen for sharp metallic rattling. This can be done with the faring still on. If the bike is very low mileage it is unlikely either of these checks will show anything.

If the deal is good and the bike is clean, I think it is worth the risk.

 

[Ignacio]

If the deal is good and the bike is clean, I think it is worth the risk.

Concur. I'm in the same boat and looking for '04 and '05 that ideally would have 26,001 miles on it, had the first valve check and in spec, and doesn't tick when I listen to it. That said if I found a cherry bike with 5000 miles for 35,000 miles I'd still get it.

It really concerns you, drop that header and inspect.

 

[lfmn16]

If you are looking at an '03 your odds of it being a ticker is very likely <20%, much less than that if it is an '04 and very, very unlikely for an '05. The premature wear of the valve guides due to stem seals being too tight takes a long time. You can ride the motorcycle until oil comes out the exhaust and it will still run ok and be reliable.

Thanks. That makes me feel better. It's an '05 with under 5k miles.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Depending on where the bike is, you could ask someone here on the Forum who is local to the bike to go and take a look at it for you.

I recently did just this for a fellow forum member. I took lots of pictures for the potential buyer, did a video walk-around, and took it for a test spin.

I think the forum member is gonna buy it, and he's getting what is, in my opinion, a smoking deal on an '05 that's very clean with 1/2 the mileage of my '04.

Oh - the potential buyer is replacing an '05 that got wrecked. Last I heard, he's gonna do a fly-and-ride this weekend.

So just buy the damn thing. If you see an '04 going through Charleston tomorrow, 1-up, wearing a screamin' yellow helmet, that'll be me on my way to NAFO.

 

[madmike2]

If you are looking at an '03 your odds of it being a ticker is very likely <20%, much less than that if it is an '04 and very, very unlikely for an '05. The premature wear of the valve guides due to stem seals being too tight takes a long time. You can ride the motorcycle until oil comes out the exhaust and it will still run ok and be reliable.

Thanks. That makes me feel better. It's an '05 with under 5k miles.

Aaaannndddd.....do NOT tell Matt where it is! :dribble:

 

[lfmn16]

Aaaannndddd.....do NOT tell Matt where it is! :dribble:

It's in Fairbanks :lol: